


In the End (I’ll Be There)

by ihappentobeonfire



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, Crack, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Just try to fucking stop me, M/M, Mental Illness, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Part of NCT is still NCT but part is the General public, Polyamory, baker!taeyong, barrista!chenle, depictions of attempted suicide, dont take those tags too seriously lmao, im serious it’s just crack I’m not trying to make anyone sad I swear, its pretty much just crack, just guys being dudes, kinda slow burn, mentions of eating disorders, model!doyoung, shop owner!johnny, so much fluff!, theres also a cat, trans!jungwoo, very LGBTQ+ friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-13 15:18:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15367470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihappentobeonfire/pseuds/ihappentobeonfire
Summary: “We’re not that much different. Maybe a few less problems, but still the same. A group of friends trying to make it in the world.”-=+Or+=-Johnny adopts a kitten to lift the mood in his coffee shop just a bit more. What he didn’t expect to come with that kitten was new friends, new drama, and a whole lot of love.





	1. Coffee Shops and Kittens

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not happy with how the first chapter turned out. At all. But I figured I’d post it and hope that it goes uphill from here. Please enjoy this, and the angst towards the end is only temporary. I apologize for any errors- I try to proofread, but I can’t always catch everything. It’s also very sloppy for the first 3k words, seeing as I was originally going to make this into a GOT7/NCT crossover and had to switch a few characters around. Because of this, it’s not tailored to their personalities at the start. Sorry!

Johnny exhaled and ran a hand through his usually perfect brown hair, pulling his keys out of his pocket and turning around to lock the shop behind him. He stepped back and looked at the dark sign above the door, which usually glowed with a welcoming “open” in a more retro taste he had always appreciated. It was only 4 in the afternoon, but he was closing up early as he always did on Sundays. He stretched and slid his keys back into his pocket, briefly reaching over to the window box and brushing his fingertips over the pale purple petals of whatever flower was growing at the time. He had left all of that planning to his longtime friend Taeyong, who had insisted upon being in charge of the decorations.

Even though he lived in the small apartment above the shop, it was accessible through a different door, so he always locked up regardless if he was remaining at home or not. Today, he decided to head downtown and shop around. Maybe find some new decorations that Taeyong wouldn’t claim were ‘clashing with the aesthetic’. He brushed his hands down his pale blue button-up and black jeans, rolling his shoulders back and starting towards the metro tunnel.

He boarded and rode the metro with no trouble. Granted, he was squished up against a stranger who most definitely turned his body so he could be closer to Johnny opposed to farther away, but he wasn’t phased by such behavior after a lifetime in the city. He emerged about a mile from the commercial district, and pulled his phone out of his pocket after ducking into a convenience store to avoid some of the noise. Almost on instinct, he dialed his other closest friend, Jeno, and pressed the device to his ear.

“Hello?” Came a response after three rings.

“Jeno! I know your shift just ended, and I’m heading down to the shops in the downtown. I was wondering if you wanted to meet me there? I haven’t seen you in forever.” Johnny replies, a smile growing on his face despite the verbally exclusive nature of the conversation. 

“Definitely. I needed to pick up some stuff anyways, so that works out perfectly. Where do you want to meet? That little pet shop on the second block, with the really cute cashier?”

“Sure. See you there” Johnny ended the call and tucked his phone back into his pocket, wandering back onto the street and in the general direction of the pet shop. He had never been inside, but he had heard Jeno ramble about the cashier on more than one occasion, so he liked to think himself at least mildly familiar with the location.

Once he arrived, he pushed the door open, only to be greeted by a small bell on the door and the sounds of animals scurrying about in their designated enclosures. It smelled like one would assume a pet shop smelled like, but it wasn’t exactly unbearable. He still found himself breathing through his mouth as he walked further into the seemingly empty shop. 

“Hello! How may I help you?” He heard from in front of himself, and he looked away from the spotted gecko and instead at a worker standing in the beginning of the aisle with a few things piled in his arms. He was smaller, but certainly built, and had soft brown hair that was pushed back in a messy, casual way. Johnny’s eyes flickered to his name tag. Jaemin. He looked back at the man and locked eyes with him, giving him a small smile.

“I’m good for now, thank you” He responded politely, taking in the stranger once he turned away. This was most certainly the worker Jeno had been going on and on about, and he couldn’t say he was disappointed. He walked towards where the more common domestic animals were, and his heart melted at the sight of puppies tumbling around and yapping at each other. He scanned the next spacious gated-off area out of curiosity, and his gaze fell upon a small, fiery red kitten hobbling around. He almost squealed audibly, and brought a hand up to his chest to press against where he could feel his heartbeat speeding up. 

“Which one caught your eye?” Came from behind him, and he jolted out of surprise.

“Oh, the little red one” he glanced over his shoulder at Jaemin, who now approached and picked the kitten up out of the enclosure, handing the small animal to Johnny, who didn’t hesitate to accept the gesture.

“She’s a really sweet Red Somali, loves people.” Jaemin explained, and Johnny nodded, running his fingers down her back. Soft purrs immediately escaped from her throat, and she settled into the crook of his arm happily. Johnny cooed and smiled down at her, ruffling the soft strands of fur and then stroking them back into place.

“She’s so adorable” he mumbled, looking back up at Jaemin. He looked content with himself, for whatever reason. 

“She’d make a great shop cat. Especially in that cafe you own more uptown. At least, I think you own it, right?” Jaemin tipped his head to the side ever-so-slightly and raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, I own it. You’ve been?”

“Definitely. Everyone around here loves your cafe. Although, I gotta admit I first walked in because of that black haired guy with the eye smile I’ve seen around.” Jaemin leaned back against the counter behind him.

Johnny shifted the tiny kitten in his arms, realizing that she had promptly fallen asleep against the warmth of his chest. Jaemin’s comment brought a small sparkle to his eyes.

“Jeno? Mmhm, you know there’s a reason he drops by here so often.” Johnny taunted, shrugging his shoulders teasingly. “Speaking of which, there he is.” Johnny looked towards the front door, which had jingled, signifying the entrance of someone else. Jeno was still decked out in his work clothes, but the jacket he had thrown on made him look a bit more casual. The younger immediately spotted him and walked over, leaning over and pulling him into a quick one-armed hug, being conscientious of the fragile animal still cradled against Johnny.

“Johnny, great to see you again!” Jeno smiled, and then glanced over at Jaemin and sent Johnny an accusatory glance. Johnny stuck his tongue out childishly, and Jeno’s glare only intensified. The elder jumped a bit suddenly, and excused himself from the shop temporarily with his vibrating phone in hand and an apologetic expression. 

“So…” Johnny started once the door closed. “How long does it take to adopt an animal?” He questioned, and Jaemin snapped out of whatever daze he had been thrown into.

“Usually like a day or two to go over the paperwork…” he trailed off, and Johnny immediately picked up.

“I have Jeno’s phone number.”

“But there can be a more.. express process” he smiled at Johnny and slipped behind the counter he had been leaning against, pulling out a packet and beckoning for the brunette male to come closer. “I’ve been in your cafe anyways, I know she’ll be just fine.”

Johnny seemed satisfied at that, and adjusted his grip on the kitten so he could write with one hand, and picked up the pen lying on the counter, beginning to fill in the paperwork.

“If you want, I can help you pick out some stuff she’ll need…”

“When does this store close?” Johnny didn’t even look up from the paper to see Jaemin’s inquisitive gaze.

“In 20 minutes.”

“Mhm. I’m sure Jeno and I could definitely use help setting everything up.” A small smile played on his lips, and he signed the bottom of the first page, looking up at Jaemin. “If you’re free, of course.”

Jaemin barely even hesitated with his vigorous nodding, and Johnny laughed softly, flipping to the final page and setting down the pen so he could pull his wallet out and struggle to get his insurance card out without disturbing the small kitten. Once he had all of his information down, he slid the packet back across the counter just as the door opened and Jeno entered again.

“Donghyuk needs to calm the fuck down” Jeno groaned, ruffling his normally perfectly styled hair into what Johnny would call a gorgeous mess. 

“He’s a little rascal. Anyways, I hope you didn’t need anything too much because I’m enslaving you and Jaemin for the night.” 

“Wait, What?” Jeno narrowed his eyes, and Johnny flashed him a bright smile.

“Jeno, meet my new kitten” he gestured down and the ball of red fluff curled against his chest. “You’re helping me pick stuff out. So is Jaemin.” 

“Of course, why am I friends with you?” Jeno quirked an eyebrow, and the older pinched his cheek.

“Because you love me. Now! Let’s get to it!”

-

Johnny was exhausted, by the time they were done. The kitten, he had decided on the name Andromeda, had spent most of her time curled up on the front counter while they had walked the aisles long past closing time (not that Jaemin cared). Now, the kitten was up and eager, much to a tired Johnny’s dismay, and Jaemin and Jeno had disappeared. Presumably together. He checked his watch, the 8:45 glaring back at him, almost trying to make him more aware him how much time he had wasted playing wingman. Now, he was left standing under the overhang outside of the locked shop with Andromeda wiggling around in his grasp and a heavy cloth bag in his hands that was supposed to be a pet carrier but instead functioned as a shopping bag for now. His home was too far to walk, so he supposed he would be taking the metro back once again, this time half asleep and trying to tame an animal. How delightful. 

As he stepped into the metro car, he realized it wasn’t as empty as he thought it would be, but it was significantly less crowded than before. Nobody was standing, but there were no seats. He set the bag down by his feet and wrapped his free hand around the support pole, the other occupied with holding Andromeda against his side so she wasn’t a general nuisance. The metro rocked into motion, and he exhaled, leaning his forehead against the pole despite how disgusting it probably was. He didn’t even know if pets were allowed on the metro, but oh well. He guessed it was fine if nobody had said anything so far. 

Four minutes into his ten minute ride, a soft yet firm voice interrupted his scrambled train of thought, forcing him to open his eyes and face the cruel reality of public transportation.

“Do you need to sit?”

He blinked and located the source of the voice, locking eyes with a very important-looking man. He had a button up and slacks, with his suit coat lying on his leg. Johnny wondered why he was taking a metro, but decided he didn’t exactly care. He shook his head, mumbling a polite “no thank you” and adjusting his own bag with the toe of his shoe. 

As if he hadn’t been heard, the man stood up.

“Then I guess either you’ll take a seat or I’ll stand with you.” He flashed Johnny a teasing smile. Now that the stranger was on his feet, Johnny realized he was significantly taller, and most definitely larger, than the other, and their newfound proximity seemed to highlight that just a bit. He returned the smile, although he was sure it was a bit more shy. He had never been very good with strangers- attractive ones, even worse. 

Andromeda gave a rather violent sneeze, and he yelped at the sudden sound and the jolt of the tiny animal, and lifted her up in front of him so he could look at her.

“Christ above, girl, you alright?” He mumbled, quirking an eyebrow and leaning back against the pole. When he lifted her, he noticed his arms had been trembling a bit from one thing or another, so he pulled her back into his chest and flicked his hair out of his face, looking down at his feet.

“What’s her name?” The stranger asked, one arm extended above him to grab the overhead rail Johnny had never cared to bother with.

“Andromeda. I should ask you the same thing…?” Johnny hoped his question wouldn’t be misinterpreted, but luck didn’t seem to be on his side at the moment.

“Wait, about my cat? How’d you know I had a cat…”

Johnny rolled his eyes and snorted, giving the other a disinterested look.

“No you idiot, your name!” He chuckled and shook his head. 

“Oh-“ the stranger laughed nervously, waking himself with his hand as if the metro car wasn’t freezing cold. “It’s Ten.” He responded after a second, and Johnny inclined his head in acknowledgement. 

“Johnny” he replied, feeling that the exchange was customary. After another moment, the metro rolled to a stop, and he crouched down to pick up his bag, only to be stopped by Ten, who already had the bag in his free hand.

“Oh, I’m fine I swear-“ he started, but was cut off my Ten walking off the metro. He followed cautiously, bringing up his other arm so he was hugging Andromeda to his chest. The kitten squirmed and dug her tiny little claws into the exposed skin of his collarbone. He hissed in pain, but didn’t say anything.

Once they were back on the surface, Ten finally stopped walking and waited patiently for Johnny, who didn’t have as much purpose to his step.

“Where’re you going?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow, and Johnny flushed and spluttered.

“I can take care of myself thank you very much-“

“I asked where you were going. Not your opinion on the matter” Ten teased, which prompted another glare from Johnny. 

“My cafe. Two blocks up.” He replied with a sigh, knowing he wouldn’t win this argument. Ten, now looking extremely content, continued his journey with newfound vigor.

After a mere 5 minutes walk, they both stood outside of the darkened, locked building while Johnny fumbled with his keys to the main floor opposed to the stairwell directly to his apartment. The door opened silently, and he exhaled, stepping inside and holding the door for Ten, who entered as well and let it close behind him. As soon as the door slid into its slot, he let Andromeda down on the floor, and the kitten immediately trotted off into some distant corner to do some exploring. He turned back to Ten, who had set the bag on one of the small tables, and waited silently for the other’s attention to shift to him. How did he end up with some stranger he plucked off the street in the middle of his cafe? He shook his head and sighed, just wishing he could go to bed at this point. 

“I gotta go” Ten finally spoke, and waved to Johnny as he walked out the door without another word. The younger rolled his eyes and locked the front door, propping the “pets allowed” sign up in the window before walking up the spiral staircase in the back and into his actual apartment.

If his memory served him correctly (and it always did) that meant Chenle was on shift in the morning, and Taeyong was working the kitchen.

(After many agonizing years of training, he had managed to make it so that the one place Taeyong didn’t fuck everything up was in the kitchen. His greatest accomplishment, he might even dare to say.)

He snorted at his own mind and pulled his shirt off, casting it into the hamper half-heartedly and leaving his shoes by the entryway before wandering deeper into his rather spacious apartment. He wasn’t rich or anything, he hadn’t even known about the apartment when he bought the place, anyways. In less than 5 minutes, he was changed and tucked under the covers piled onto his queen bed, his phone lying on the bedside table with an alarm set for 4 am. 

-

Johnny was mostly set up for the day when Chenle arrived at 5:45, a mere 15 minutes before they opened on weekdays. The young boy looked tired, but he was energetic as always. Even with no customers, the atmosphere was already bustling as soon as he entered the shop. Johnny, who was well-versed in the tendencies of the younger, noticed that he had a bit of a spring in his step today. 

“What’s with you?” He asked, looking up from where he had been rearranging the different containers behind the counter.

“Nothing. I had another dream last night!” He piped, and Johnny’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. Dreams were never good with Chenle. He either slept soundly, or he was screaming and crying.

“You did?” He tread cautiously, knowing first-hand that these conversations could lead to a drastic shift in mood and some tears (on both sides). 

“Mhm- I was fine though, Doyoung promised to stay with me until I fell asleep.”

Johnny heaved a sigh of relief, making a mental note to thank his lord and savior Doyoung later when he stopped by for his daily socialization period. For some reason, even though he was rich now, he refused to move out of his and Chenle’s shared apartment. Had Chenle been left alone, he was sure the fragile male would have arrived with a long-sleeved sweater to cover the angry red scratches up and down his forearms that he always left in his sleep. Maybe they’d be bleeding, maybe not. It all depended on the severity. For some reason, though, he would always calm down if someone else was in the room. Hence the reason Doyoung, his faithful roommate and third mother (after Taeyong and Chenle’s actual mother) often spent nights curled up on the couch he had shoved into the younger’s room a while back. 

“Johnny!” Chenle whined, bringing the older back to reality. “You’re messing up my organization!” He continued, dragging Johnny away by the hem of his sweater so he wouldn’t further tarnish the distraught boy’s rather mediocre setup. Without another word, he simply moved on to the next task- checking to make sure Taeyong hadn’t fallen asleep and accidentally singed his eyebrows off (that was an experience he never needed to see again- after that whole episode, he was glad his old baker had quit to save him from the unnecessary drama).

Sure enough, Taeyong was still awake, at least partially, and staring at the light illuminating whatever was cooking in the oven at the time. Their menu was quite limited in terms of food, considering it was entirely composed of pastries and baked goods, but in the drink category they were far from lacking. Drinks that they couldn’t make were few and far between (and usually involved the odd request to include alcohol), so the majority of his employees (majority meaning 3 of 4, including himself) worked the front counter where they made all of the drinks by hand. Taeyong was a lone soul back in the kitchen, baking his heart out and singing horribly along to the radio while doing so. He was out of college by now, Johnny was sure, and he was also sure that Taeyong worked two jobs, at the bare minimum. One of which was at the cafe, the other of which was with various modeling agencies. He wasn’t a model, no, he was a photographer. And a damn good one, at that. Even with his other career, he apparently A. Wasn’t able to support himself or B. Didn’t have the heart to leave the cafe in such incapable hands as Johnny Seo’s. Secretly, Johnny hoped it was the latter. Even though he would be rather offended if Taeyong called him incapable, it would still meant he cared.

The red haired male looked up, apparently snapped out of his trance, and smiled at Johnny.

“Hey, what’s up with the cat? Saw it this morning walking in” He asked, tilting his head to the side and pushing himself off of the wall. He was smaller than Johnny, as well as only a bit younger, but he was still very childish at heart. 

“She’s the new cafe cat. Her name is Andromeda. The door to my room is gonna stay open for her until I can get a cat door installed, so don’t worry if you don’t see her.” Johnny explained, as if it was a normal occurrence to just randomly decide to adopt a cat. Taeyong, ever the accepting one, just shrugged and grabbed a towel off the counter when the oven went off. With a glance at his watch, he realized it was opening time, so he walked back into the main room and flipped the switch on the neon open sign, as well as flipped the rest of the lights on and turned the radio on low. The station that was playing was anything from alternative rock to pop, so he liked to put it on to have some variety throughout the day. 

At around 6:10, the morning customers began to trickle in, the majority of them ordering stuff to go so they could get to work. A few stayed behind to enjoy some coffee, some of which Johnny recognized. One of the ones he recognized was Doyoung, who stopped by almost every morning to relax for a couple minutes before rushing off to his daily life. Johnny waved at him, and Doyoung waved back, standing up and walking over to the counter for a bit of conversation as Johnny continued to help Chenle out. He leaned against the side, out of everyone’s way but still present.

“Morning, Johnny” he smiled, and Johnny returned the greeting, handing a cup with a name scribbled on the side to the customer that had ordered it.

“What do you have going on today, Doyoung?” He asked politely, furrowing his eyebrows and opening the refrigerator under the cabinet to retrieve the milk. 

“Nothing much, really. I have to go to a shoot for Louis Vitton.” He replied nonchalantly, and Johnny shot him a glare as he stirred the coffee he was making.

“‘Nothing much’” he mumbled, shaking his head at the model. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” He joked, and Doyoung laughed softly, pushing his soft black hair out of his face. His attire was casual (for now, at least) so one wouldn’t expect him to be a well-respected model for several major companies and magazines. Sometimes Johnny wondered why someone so rich would come to this shop at least 3 times a week, but he’d learned it was to ultimately check on Chenle. Doyoung must “check on his son” after all, as he claims. 

Currently, a more pop-based song was playing, and Chenle was singing softly under his breath. Something about the voice singing seemed eerily familiar, but he brushed it off as having heard the song before somewhere. 

Doyoung excused himself and headed out, leaving Chenle and Johnny to work without company.

“Do you know this band?” Johnny asked, indicating the song. Chenle nodded and handed a drink over the counter, realizing there was nobody in line and heaving a sigh of relief. 

Considering there were no other distractions at the moment, Chenle wandered off to find Andromeda lurking somewhere within the cafe (or his apartment).

The door to the kitchen opened, and Taeyong emerged, two trays in his hands and batter smudged on his cheek. He seemed happy, so Johnny left him to his own devices in organizing the display case. Soft bell sounds brought him back to reality as the door opened, and he approached the counter to greet the customer. He’d never seen the man before- he was a bit smaller, but seemed to have a presence. His hair was hidden by a baseball cap, but the rest of his face was visible.

“Hello, how may I help you?” He asked, and tapped Taeyong on the shoulder.

“Tyong,” he used his nickname for the younger, and shot the customer and apologetic look. “You’re strong, can you go move the table in the front corner” he requested, and Taeyong nodded, wiping the batter off of his face and walking out from behind the counter. He returned his attention to the customer, who had his eyes trailed on Taeyong. Johnny cleared his throat, and the customer snapped back to attention.

“Y-yeah, sorry. One caramel latte” he requested, and Johnny reached for his pen tucked behind the register.

“What size?”

“Large” he tapped a few buttons on the screen, and picked up the large cup, uncapping the sharpie.

“Name?” He didn’t even look up at the man for a response.

“Mark.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it, scribbling down the name and getting to work. Within a few minutes he handed the drink over the counter, and Mark accepted it with a slight tilt to his head, walking over to find a table. Johnny made his way over to Taeyong, who seemed to be figuring out where the table would go. 

“Just put it over here” Johnny indicated the spot, and Taeyong crouched down, slipping a hand under the table and lifting it up so it didn’t scratch the floor. The tables weren’t light, but Taeyong sure made it look like they were. Now, it’s not like Johnny wasn’t perfectly capable of moving the tables by himself (he was probably more capable than Taeyong) he just didn’t really feel like it. Once he was finished he pat the table top and started back towards the kitchen, promptly stumbling over his own foot and earning a laugh from Johnny.

“Taeyong oh my god” he shook his head, reaching over and ruffling Taeyong’s hair. 

-

By now it was nearing lunch time, so everything was quieting down. No customers sat at the tables, no machines were whirring. Andromeda was lying on top of one of the tables, and Johnny rolled his eyes at the kitten. 

“I’M HERE!” 

Noise exploded from the front door, and Johnny didn’t even need to look over to know that Yukhei had just entered the room. He was, by far, the loudest person Johnny knew, but he wasn’t complaining. Yukhei was in his last year of university, so he always came when he could and left when he had to.

“Hey, Yukhei” Chenle, seated on top of the counter, greeted the other loud boy. Chenle had a more consistent schedule, considering he had graduated high school and decided to attend an online university in his free time.

“Chenle, my man!” Yukhei pulled the smaller into a hasty hug, a smile on his face that accentuated the perfect shape of his lips. Yukhei was attractive, very attractive, actually, and everyone seemed to know that except for Yukhei himself. What really signed him off as ‘a descendant of the gods’ was the rare mutation he had in his eyes, that made them a grey-blue instead of the usual soulful black. Doyoung had even made a comment once about how big Yukhei could make it in the modeling industry if he could just hold still and stop smiling for once. 

He pulled on the collar of his tight black Guns N’ Roses t-shirt and tapped his hands on the counter in an annoyingly rhythmic pattern before straightening and brushing his light brown hair out of his face. 

“Dyed your hair?” Chenle asked, reaching up to fiddle with the strands. Yukhei nodded and bent down a bit so Chenle didn’t have to stretch.

“Compliments your skin tone” Taeyong pointed out, now leaning against the wall instead of staring into the depths of the oven. He was right, Yukhei’s caramel skin went perfectly with the shade he had selected which somehow, against all odds, made him even more attractive. 

“Mmm, thanks TY” Yukhei teased, knowing perfectly well that the older wasn’t that font of the nickname in most circumstances. Specifically when it was Yukhei calling him that.

“Sure thing, Xuxi” Taeyong replied equally as sarcastically, looking like he was contemplating homicide. Yukhei, seemingly proud of himself, swung a chair around so he could sit on it backwards and plopped down. It was at that point that Johnny noticed he was… different today. The same amount of energy, but not as genuine. His usually sparkling eyes were dull, and there was definitely concealer under his eyes.

“Yukhei, did you get enough sleep?” He questioned, and the Chinese boy nodded, albeit hesitantly. He never hesitated. 

“You’re a terrible liar” Chenle quirked an eyebrow, and Yukhei’s cheeks flushed just a bit.

“No I’m not!” Yukhei insisted, only to be blocked off by Taeyong pressing a finger to his lips.

“Shush. You need sleep, Yukhei. And a meal, while you’re at it.” He commanded, motherly as ever. 

Yukhei looked like he was about to protest, when the front door opened, turning the attention of all four to the entrance. The first thing that caught Johnny’s eye was the person in the front- it was the Mark person, who had come in earlier. The second thing was the person immediately behind Mark. Ten. Who he had spoken to on the metro, and sympathized about cats with. Why was he here with- Johnny counted heads- 7 other men who looked like they probably ruled the world. Yukhei scrambled out of his chair and pushed it in, ducking behind Taeyong and joining Chenle hidden by the coffee machines. 

“Hello?” He gestured for Taeyong to go back into the kitchen, to which the other happily complied, and put on his ‘I’m smiling because I have to’ face. “Can I help you guys with anything?”

One of them stepped forward, and Johnny didn’t even question their behavior at this point. 

“Hi, I’m Taeil. I’m the leader of the band NCT, these are my members, and I was wondering if we could have permission to film inside of your cafe? It’s not professional equipment, just a casual livestream and chat.”

Johnny blinked at the request and shrugged. “I don’t care, hold on a second.” He mumbled, and turned on his heel to push the door open to the kitchen.

“Yo, Tyong? You care if people film in here? I know Yukhei doesn’t, and Chenle follows Yukhei’s decisions.”

A faint sound of affirmation came from the depths of the storage area tucked off to the side, and he let the door close behind him as he returned to the group.

“You’re all good. It’s dead time around here too, but I can close up shop if you want privacy.” He offered, knowing that nobody would even want to come in anyways, so it wouldn’t hurt their sales. 

“That would be really nice, actually” Taeil smiled, and any tension in the room seemed to bleed into the floorboards as the 8 newcomers gave a small cheer and a quick “thank you” before going about their business. Johnny walked to the front door and flipped off the sign, pulling it shut completely and turning the other ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’. 

“Hey Johnnycake, can I steal one of your sweatshirts?” He heard Yukhei from somewhere behind the counter, and rolled his eyes.

“The shirt you’re wearing is fine, Yukhei” he stated monotonously, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows.

“It’s too tight” he whined, and Johnny shot him a glare. Chenle, who seemed determined to get the point across, smacked Yukhei’s ass for emphasis. 

“You look hot” he attempted his best thirsty teenage girl voice, and Yukhei yelped and whirled around.

“I’ll shove a stick of cinnamon up your nose you ungrateful-“

“Alright that’s enough” Taeyong intercepted, having emerged from the kitchen to take in the chaos unfolding in front of him. “Chenle, stop being thirsty and gay, Yukhei just go steal one of Johnny’s shirts if you want”

Johnny made a distressed noise, but was quickly cut off by Taeyong smacking the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes, but didn’t maintain the stare for too long. Instead, his focus shifted down to Andromeda, who was rubbing up against the side of his leg. He squatted down and picked her up, straightening once again and slowly smiling. He walked over to the group of 8 that had settled, one of them playing with a tripod and a phone mounted on top of it. Ten had his back facing Johnny, so it was he perfect opportunity. He used his height and long limbs to his advantage and plopped Andromeda directly on the table in front of Ten, who jumped at the sudden entrance and rammed his chair back into Johnny’s shin. 

The taller bit his lip and retreated, fisting his hand into his shirt to keep himself from screaming a few obscene words at the top of his lungs. It was worse than a normal shin mishap, considering all of the power behind Ten’s surprise had been transferred directly to one spot on his leg. Had the chairs been any sharper, he was confident he’d be able to apply for handicap because of his newfound amputee status. 

“Great job, dumbass, you killed him” an unfamiliar voice scolded, which was followed immediately by more chair noises and then a soft pressure on his shoulder.

“Johnny- are you okay?” He was still a stranger, even if he was less of one than the other at the table, so the extremely close proximity wasn’t exactly comfortable. He nodded quickly, taking note of Taeyong’s smug smirk in his peripheral vision and vowing to live the rest of his life out in prison as soon as he got his hands on the red-haired freak. The pressure of Ten’s hand dissapeared, as well as the other man himself, and he exhaled. Taeyong wiggled his eyebrows in Johnny’s direction, and the taller silently flipped him off in such a way that the 8 wouldn’t see.

All at once, it dawned upon him that Taeil had introduced them as a band. They were celebrities. There were 8 celebrities sitting in his cafe. Another soft sound snatched his attention, and Yukhei entered, donned in a sweatshirt that seemed to swallow him whole. It was big on Johnny, so on Yukhei it looked more like a dress. He shook his head, and rolled his eyes once Chenle entered behind him, as if he was frolicking through a field of daisies. 

“Why do you insist upon looking like a twig?” He questioned, directing the phrase at Yukhei. Over the younger’s shoulder, he could see one of the band members he recognized, Jungwoo, looking up at Yukhei’s entrance. 

“It makes me feel safe. Like a hug. And you smell good.” He explained simply, the sleeve slipping past his slender wrist and covering his fingertips. 

“This is exactly why Doyoung thought we were dating” he crossed his arms over his chest, looking pointedly into the soft doe-eyes of the other. Yukhei didn’t respond to this particular tease, instead retreating behind the counter and observing quietly. Quietly? That wasn’t a word in Yukhei’s vocabulary. There was definitely something wrong.

“Alright guys, 1, 2, 3-“ he heard from Taeil, and fell silent as the light chatter from the group ceased and they all looked at the camera. Mechanically, they greeted the camera, and then slipped into a more relaxed routine. Discussion, laughing, stories. It was all amusing to Johnny, who lingered off to the side nearly silently. He turned away from the group and sneezed rather violently, which caused Chenle to snort and let out his signature dolphin squeal of a laugh. 

“Chenle shut up” Yukhei groaned, quiet by the standards of the Chinese boy but not by the standards of anyone else. Johnny shot an apologetic look over his shoulder. In doing so, he realized a few of them were giggling as well at the antics of the cafe workers. 

Johnny turned his attention to Yukhei then, determined to find out what was wrong. Slumped shoulders, less of a sparkle in his eyes, no smile etched on his lips. He seemed… unwell, in general. Whether it was illness, stress, or lack of basic needs, Johnny couldn’t tell. But, it was something, that’s for sure. Soon enough, the younger duo became immersed in something on Chenle’s phone, so he left them alone for now.

-

Jungwoo wasn’t one to catch feelings that often. Sure, he could appreciate a nice booty every once in a while, but he never had the urge to protect someone like he did when he first laid eyes on Yukhei. At least, that’s what he thought the other’s name was, given the multiple people that have called him that. There wasn’t even anything particularly worthy of such a strong reaction about him, it just… happened. One second, he was calmly waving at the camera, and the next he was basking in the presence of an actual angel. 

Just the way he moved, the way he spoke, hell, the way he breathed, put Jungwoo in some sort of trance. He wasn’t small, by any means, but the sweatshirt he wore made it look like he was increasingly tiny, contrary to his actual size. Silently, Jungwoo wondered what exactly he looked like under the sweatshirt. Maybe he was muscular, maybe he was skinny. Maybe he had broad shoulders, a slim waist, or maybe he didn’t. Just the element of surprise had Jungwoo itching to know. He shifted in his seat and folded his hands in his lap, trying to peel his attention away from the way that Yukhei braced himself on the counter as he leaned over the shoulder of the smaller boy next to him. Okay, maybe he had an issue. He managed to look back at the camera, a smile forming on his face as he leaned forward slightly so he’d be in the shot. 

After nearly 45 minutes, they finally turned the camera off and completely relaxed. Now, they could just be themselves. No picture perfect image to keep up. He tapped Mark’s thigh, and the boy next to him looked over at the contact. 

“That Yukhei guy is really hot... ” he mumbled, keeping his voice low so nobody else would hear him. Of all the band members, he confided in Mark the most. Spoke to him about more intimate topics he wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing with even members of his family. 

“Go talk to him then.”

“Are you crazy?” He hissed at the response, narrowing his eyes. “What if he’s like, a judgemental Christian or something?” Jungwoo fretted endlessly, drawing a groan from Mark. The younger slammed his forehead on the table with another, slightly louder groan.

“Jungwoo you’re an idiot, you know that?” He mumbled, and ruffled the elder’s hair. “If he ends up caring about who you are that way, the answer is simple. I commit murder. You should know this by now,” Mark teased, giving Jungwoo a supportive smile.

Forget murder, Jungwoo knew if anyone so much as looked at him wrong that Mark would launch himself into mass genocide. Having supportive friends was terrific and all, but he didn't want to be responsible for a 5% drop in the Earth’s population. He reached over and squeezed Mark’s shoulder, pulling him into a much needed hug and burying his face in the side of the younger’s neck. A few pats and gentle movements later, he disentangled himself and stood up, unsure of precisely what he was doing at this point. Jisung, the youngest, gave him an odd look but didn’t say anything more, instead nudging Taeil (who sat beside him) and gesturing in Jungwoo’s general direction.

“Yah! Don’t touch me with your dirty little chewbacca paws Chenle-” 

The sudden, loud voice startled him, and he immediately plopped back down in his chair next to Mark with a terrified expression.

“He’s… a bit loud” Jungwoo stated, drawing a choked laugh from Mark. The elder hadn’t noticed that Mark had been drinking some water, and guilt immediately swelled up in his chest. 

“Oh my god, Mark- I’m sorry I didn’t know you were drinking water,” he rushed through the apology, and the younger continued coughing, the heel of his hand pressed to his chest. Two minutes (and multiple worried glances) later, the younger had finally stopped coughing, and retaliated by pinching Jungwoo’s forearm. His yelp was drowned out by his sharp intake of breath when someone leaned over him and placed a cup on the table in front of Mark. He looked over his shoulder to see none other than Yukhei, who seemed to be about to say something. Shit- if Jungwoo still had eardrums after this he’d be surprised.

“Just don’t rip your throat out dude” came instead, in a surprisingly normal volume for a human being. Yukhei leaned his hand on the back of Jungwoo’s chair, pursing his lips and cracking a smile. “It’s probably weird to call a celebrity dude. Is that weird?” the boy’s perfectly sculpted features twisted into a mix between a scowl and a confused expression. Somehow, despite every single beauty law that existed on this planet Earth, it still looked hot.

“Nah, not really, it’s actually kind of-” Mark started, but was cut off by Jungwoo blurting out a question.

“Are those your real eyes?” approximately 10 seconds after the words left his mouth, he regretted every decision he had ever made that led him to this position. Yukhei’s startled jolt at the intrusion into the conversation, the way he fell silent and rubbed the back of his neck afterwards. It all gave him a swelling, unparalleled need to launch himself into oncoming traffic.

“Yeah…” he trailed off, all of his previous enthusiasm vanishing in front of Jungwoo’s eyes. He ducked his head out of the way, purposefully not making eye contact, seemingly to avoid the other seeing them altogether.

“They’re really pretty!” He blurted once again, apparently having absolutely zero sense of self restraint. Instead of traffic, he figured a nice big pit of spikes would suffice this time. Yukhei timidly picked his head back up, and it dawned upon Jungwoo that he might be a bit shy. They made brief eye contact, and the smile returned to Yukhei’s face. ‘God,’ Jungwoo thought ‘does he ever stop smiling for a prolonged period of time?’ 

“You think so?” the faint blush across his cheeks warmed Jungwoo’s heart, and he nodded his affirmation.

“Woah, who’s that?” the new voice drew Yukhei’s attention away, and towards Jisung. As far as Yukhei could tell, the young-looking boy was staring at Chenle.

“Him? The blonde pipsqueak? That’s Chenle. Hella gay and ready to fucking get it-”

“DID YOU JUST CALL ME GAY?” Chenle shrieked from across the shop, an intimidating plastic knife appearing from out of seemingly nowhere.

“Agh! I’ve been thwarted! A plastic knife!” Yukhei dramatically clutched his chest and swooned, straightening afterwards and starting to walk back over to the counter.

“Me? I’m the gay one? You were literally fantasizing over Leonardo DiCaprio like 15 minutes ago.” Chenle pointed out monotonously, and Yukhei spluttered and flushed, looking around for the nearest sharp object. When he could find nothing, he formulated his next statement.

“Yeah, well at least I can get some-”

“Xuxi. You’ve never even kissed anyone.” Chenle now seemed just the slightest bit amused, watching Yukhei scramble to try and find something he could use against the smaller.

“Fuck you, Chenle. Fuck you.” he settled for, and shoved his hands in his pants pockets.

“Chenle, stop acting like you’re so experienced- we kissed once while we were drunk and Jeno dared us to” Johnny pointed out, and it was Chenle’s turn to whine and blush. Amid all of this, they seemed to completely ignore the group of celebrities still seated at the table, intently watching the exchange.

“Besides, I think at least half of our friend group are still virgins. You two included.” Taeyong, magically beside Johnny, continued what the elder had said with the same smug smile. “You’re both in university too. I’d single handedly disembowel you if you told me you’ve had sex.”

Johnny nodded, agreeing with the statement and watching as Yukhei backed into the corner. “Xuxi, c’mere” he commanded, and Yukhei begrudgingly complied, unsure of what to expect. Johnny’s hand on his forehead was not something he thought would happen in the slightest, but it was happening, and he had no power to stop it.

“You feel normal. Have you slept? Are you eating? I swear to god if someone told you you’re ugly again and you’re starving yourself I might die of cardiac arrest. What’s wrong with you?” Johnny cupped Yukhei’s face with his hands, forcing the younger to look at him. Even though Yukhei was trying to hide it, Johnny could see the brief flash of panic on his face. Taeyong’s soft grip pulling him away from Yukhei didn’t even register. The only thing he could feel was a pang of burning hot anger, threatening to bubble over and ruin his usually calm appearance.

“Johnny, not now” Taeyong whispered harshly, and the elder forced himself to relax. Taeyong was right, he couldn’t blow up now. Not with other people around.

“Yukhei please,” he pleaded, the emotion in his eyes raw and powerful. “Please don’t do this again. Take care of yourself. We won’t be able to sleep at night if you’re torturing yourself over the opinion of some irrelevant bitch.” he paused and exhaled, twisting himself out of Taeyong’s hold and walking up the stairs to his apartment, leaving his three friends and the group of shocked idols in a state of silence. Taeyong, now realizing he had to reign in the situation, immediately jumped into action.

“Yukhei, let’s not talk about this here, okay?” He said softly, reaching up to stroke the younger’s hair and wipe his thumbs under his eyes, even though no tears streamed down his face. Chenle, never the one for negative conversation, latched onto Yukhei’s waist and buried his face in the elder’s (read: Johnny’s) sweatshirt. He knew that by now Johnny would be rethinking his existence, launching everything into a completely irrational state and pushing himself over the edge when it wasn’t even close to necessary. One thing at a time, though, and the younger two took priority to him. He left the band to their own devices, and didn’t hesitate to accept when Yukhei reached his arms out for a hug. His shoulders were trembling, and his hands were balled into fists on Taeyong’s shoulder blades, but he didn’t care. He just mumbled in Yukhei’s ear and stroked his back, waiting for him to calm down enough to form semi-cognitive thoughts. He made a mental note to call Yukhei’s roommate, Dongkyuk, and tell him the Chinese boy wouldn’t be coming home tonight. The most likely chain of events would be that he, Taeyong, and Johnny would all stay in Johnny’s apartment, possibly with the edition of Doyoung and Chenle (who often felt left out in situations these). He threaded his fingers into Yukhei’s hair and hummed an old Thai lullaby he had learned just for this occasion. Even though Yukhei was only half Thai, he seemed to calm down more when immersed in that language, compared to any of the others he spoke. After a few moments, another voice joined him, this time singing the actual words. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that one of the band members- Ten, Johnny had told him- was singing with him. The voice was interrupted by a chair, and then Ten was beside Taeyong, rubbing Yukhei’s back despite the fact that he didn’t know the boy in the slightest.

Many agonizing minutes later, Taeyong sent both Chenle and Yukhei up to join Johnny in his room, leaving himself and the idols. Ten, who had found his own place beside Taeyong? Took his arm and gently led him to the table, shoving him into the empty seat and then taking his own.

“If you… don’t mind” someone asked, and he looked up to meet the younger looking boy’s eyes. “What was that about?” He was tentative in his question. 

“Yukhei is… he’s young, and he’s struggling. But… all of us are, in my little friend group. It’s what brings us all together. Yukhei has severe self-esteem issues, Chenle has night terrors, Doyoung is trying to find purpose- hell, I can’t remember the last time Johnny looked genuinely happy. But it’s who we are.” He spilled out, not exactly caring that he was opening his heart to a bunch of celebrities that would forget this encounter by morning. That was the beauty of it, he could clear his mind and they wouldn’t care. 

“So there’s 5 of you?” A different person asked, and he shook his head.

“There’s Sicheng, who’s going through a dip in his physical and mental health. There’s Yuta, who I’m pretty sure can’t sleep unless he’s with Sicheng. There’s Jeno, who’s stressed beyond belief from work. There’s Jaemin, who’s trying to heal a broken heart and loves too easy and too intensely to let go. And then there’s Donghyuk. He’s a beautiful mess, really. Loud and devious, but an over thinker. He turns everything into something it’s not.” He explained patiently, making small hand gestures to go with what he was saying, almost habitually. 

“And what about you?” He turned his head towards the sound of the voice. The boy talking to him had sharp gestures but soft eyes, which somehow complimented each other.

“Me? Well… I take care of all of them, so much so that I forget myself.”

The same boy nodded in understanding, and pushed his chair back slightly so he could adjust himself. 

“We’re not that much different. Maybe a few less problems, but still the same. A group of friends trying to make it in the world.” Taeil, he recognized, spoke this time. His words tugged on Taeyong’s heart, making him clench his his fist under the table.

“You guys made it, though. Look at you, performing on stage, doing what you love. If I had half the talent or the drive you guys have I’d be content with life. Instead, I’m struggling to support myself in a failing economy, working two jobs, and sincerely regretting letting Johnny pull me back over the guardrail last month.” He finished quietly, his limbs relaxing and his head falling down slightly towards the table so he could hide himself from their eyes. Instead, he continued just as softly, not taking note of the new presence in the stairway, frozen and gripping the handrail.

“They don’t need me, is the thing- the thing I can’t stand. The fact that I’m secondary to everyone and everything. I can’t just live like this- watching them ahead of me, constantly pulling forward and recovering. I’m proud of them. I really am. I’m proud of the way that Yukhei’s eyes shine when he smiles, how he doesn’t wear colored contacts to hide himself anymore. I’m proud of the way Johnny can drop a joke, of the way I catch Yuta napping on his own sometimes. I’m so, so proud of them, and I wouldn’t give up their progress for the world but… I’m watching from far behind. They’re already on mile 5, and while that’s still 21.2 miles from the finish, it’s so much farther than where I stand. On the starting line. And at this point, I’m starting to think that the first one to lose wins, because the finish line is where life starts, and the start is where it ends. And I’m so close- so, so close to taking a step backwards.”

He didn’t realize he was crying until his tears dropped onto the table below him, and his breath hitched in his throat. The room was quiet, painfully so, the only sounds bouncing between the skillfully decorated walls he had composed with his own hands being those of his own labored breaths. Of the defeated sound of someone struggling to breathe who really didn’t think they deserved to anymore. 

“Taeyong…” the voice sounded broken, weak. Closer to tears than some of the misty eyes surrounding the table. He picked his head up for s brief second, looking over his shoulder and towards the stairs. There, on the last step, looking small despite his stature, was Johnny. “Tyong, please. You can’t think like that” he begged, the painful undertones of his voice sending a jolt through Taeyong’s heart, like he had been electrocuted. He scrambled out of his chair, backing slowly away from Johnny. Did he think Taeyong was some sort of freak now? He wouldn’t be surprised if the elder never wanted any sort of contact with him ever again. He shifted towards the door, when an abrupt voice stopped all of the movement in the room. Even the dust particles swirling through the air froze, awaiting the best move.

“I don’t know who you guys are, and you don’t know who I am, but I’m going to make this work.” The man was standing beside the table, the most intense look in his eyes. He had been the one to ask Taeyong ‘what about you?’.

“You. Taeyong. Get away from the door”

Taeyong, almost scared to disobey, stepped away from the doorway and towards the center of the room, his hands twitching. 

“Good. Take your phone out and make a group chat or some shit. Invite the other people you talked about over.”

“But-“

“Now.” The man’s gaze intensified, and Taeyong squeaked, scrambling to comply. 

“And you. Johnny. Collect yourself, collect your two friends, go get them, and get your ass down here with as many pillows and blankets as you can carry. Ten, Jungwoo, Jisung, you go help him.”  
Without a single word of protest, they all complied, mildly terrified to find out what the man would do if they resisted. He was usually calm, so moments like these were particularly eye-opening. 

“Taeil, call the manager and tell him to bring the car. Full of more pillows and blankets. Mark, pull down the blinds.” He continued dishing out instructions, and even the leader followed them wordlessly.

“What- what are we doing Jaehyun?” Kun asked, looking up at him.

“We’re having a fucking sleepover.”


	2. Neon Signs and Good Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have their sleepover, and everything (hopefully) goes as planned.

Approximately an hour and a half after the announcement of their impromptu gathering, there were a total of 18 people seated in what resembled some sort of semi-circular object. Some of them were familiar faces, some of them were new. All of them knew they were in for a long (but fun) night. 

The tables had been pushed to the outsides of the room (with a lot of whining from Jungwoo, who claimed that his “dainty girlish arms” couldn’t drag the heavy furniture. Mark, immediately catching onto his comment, slapped the boy’s back. “YOU’RE NO BOY!” He announced loudly, which had prompted everyone to stare. “YOU’RE A MAN!” He screeched, and the band members let out loud whooping noises, further confusing everyone else in the room.)

“Alright. So, hopefully we all get to know each other throughout the night.” Jaehyun, the self proclaimed party planning master, announced to the group. Any hushed chatter immediately subsided, and all of them turned to look at him. 

“I’m Jaehyun, to those who don’t know me. Uh, we’re gonna embrace cheesy first time greetings with an interesting fact about ourselves-“ a collective groan followed, and Jaehyun gestured to Chenle, who shrieked on command and then quieted down, snuggling into Yukhei’s side as if nothing happened.

“Thank you, Chenle. Anyways. My interesting fact is that I hate coconut with a burning passion. Next!”

The person to his left, which happened to be Jungwoo, stiffened up a little bit.

“Hi, I’m Jungwoo. I… uh…” he looked to Mark for help, who coaxed the elder on. Strangely enough, considering he knew the stories behind the people he didn’t recognize here (courtesy of Taeyong) he felt like he could express himself.

“My birth name isn’t Jungwoo” he barely whispered, and he was fairly confident at least half of the circle couldn’t hear him at all. Luckily, party planning overlord Jaehyun had heard, and he swept in to the rescue. 

“Next!” He announced, pointing to the person on Jungwoo’s left. 

This continued on until everyone had introduced themselves, with “facts” that hardly qualified as interesting. Oh well, he made a valiant effort. 

“Moving on. Our next, pre-determined activity-“

“When is bingo?” Johnny piped up sarcastically from the opposite side of the circle, drawing a laugh from the majority of other people and a glare from Jaehyun. 

“Shut up, Johnny. Next is truth or dare. Anything goes.” He announced, and a bit more interest was expressed in this topic.

“Anything?” Donghyuk raised an eyebrow, a smile already spreading across his face.

“Yeah. Anything. Don’t make it too crazy though.” Jaehyun replied, eyeing the boy suspiciously. 

Johnny stared directly at Donghyuk until the younger turned his attention to him. 

“Donghyuk. Let me be clear right now. None of your funky bullshit unless they agree to it, okay?”

Donghyuk nodded, a small pout on his face and a huff escaping from his lips.

“Me first!” Jeno called enthusiastically, and pointed across the circle. “Yuta! Truth or dare?”

The Japanese man seemed started by suddenly being thrust into the spotlight, but he took it in stride. “Dare.”

“Oh… uh… sit on someone’s lap.” He called, and Yuta quirked an eyebrow, standing and silently padding over in his socks (everyone’s shoes had been abandoned in the back corner somewhere) to where Sicheng was sitting. Without hesitation, he settled into the other boy’s lap and leaned back against his chest, sighing contentedly and then looking up to find his own victim. 

“Mark.”

The band member, a bit frazzled, immediately spat out “dare” and regretted his decisions afterwards. 

“Let’s see. Only English for your next turn.”  
The language was suddenly flip flopped, and most of the people sitting in the circle settled into a state of mild confusion.

“Johnny, truth or dare.”

“Hm. Truth.” Johnny replied, absolutely no accent coming from him as he spoke, Mark raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it.

“Boring. Okay, what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

“I’ll answer in korean for our dear friends.” The language flipped back, and he thought a moment about his answer.

“Worst thing in terms of bedroom, meaning most scandalous, probably being the receiving end with a kinky partner. That’s all the details you need.” He didn’t even seem phased by his own response, nor did Mark, but the others in the room were gaping at Johnny. “What, I’m not allowed to bottom?” He asked accusingly, and then swiveled his gaze around the circle.

“Jungwoo. Truth or dare?”

The boy’s lips parted, and he exhaled. “Dare.”

“Kiss Yukhei. 15 seconds minimum.” His neutral tone didn’t even compare to what he had said. Jungwoo’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. Yukhei looked equally as surprised, but thankfully not distraught. With a maniacal giggle, Chenle moved away from the elder and settled next to Johnny instead, giving him a high five and watching the scene unravel. 

“Wait, Wait Wait Wait-“ Yukhei repeated over and over, his face flushed and his hands shaking as Jungwoo stood and made his way across the circle. He hid behind his hands when the older finally settled in front of him, a tentative hand on his knee.

“What is it?” Jungwoo asked softly, his voice hushed so only Yukhei could hear him.

“I’ve never… I've never kissed anyone before and I don’t know if I wanna-“

Jungwoo cut him off by pressing a finger to his lips. “I won’t go through with it if you don’t want me to.” He stated simply, and moved his hand away to give Yukhei some space. Johnny suddenly seemed to dawn upon the realization, and he tensed up.

“Hey, Xuxi, If you don’t want to go through with it call it off, okay?” He furrowed his eyebrows and slid a hand through his soft chestnut locks. Naturally, his hair fell back into its relative place, but a few strands remained disorganized, which gave him a bit of a messier, yet somehow more attractive look. After a few moments of silence, Yukhei finally spoke up.

“I’ll do it… it’s just a dumb dare, right?” He laughed nervously. “It doesn’t mean anything” he added on, although it seemed more like he was reassuring himself. Jungwoo dropped his voice to a whisper once more to say one last thing as he leaned a bit closer.

“It’s my pleasure, anyways, to kiss someone like you” He mumbled, and then pressed their lips together. Yukhei recoiled just slightly, but then adjusted into the feeling. Jungwoo wasn’t being daring in the slightest, only tilting his head slightly to make it more comfortable for Yukhei. He would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it quite a bit more than he should have, but that was a topic for himself. When Yukhei’s hand gently found his waist, and Jungwoo could still feel the tremors in his fingers, he hummed softly into the kiss to let the other know it was fine. At that point, Jungwoo wasn’t sure how long 15 seconds could last, but with the soft, timid contact between them, he didn’t exactly care. 

Johnny cleared his throat, and Jungwoo pulled away immediately, sitting in Chenle’s abandoned spot next to Yukhei instead of crossing the circle to return to his own. When Mark, who was now beside him, gently nudged him towards Yukhei, he regretted ever being conceived. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place- or rather, between his best friend and a hot guy. Great. 

“Oh- Uhm… Donghyuk?”

Partially across the circle, Donghyuk looked up from his phone and grinned, something mildly terrifying sparking in his eyes. Johnny laughed nervously, which was partnered by Chenle’s endearing dolphin shriek. 

“Dare.”

“Okay. Let’s see…” Jungwoo, ever the innocent soul, hadn’t the slightest idea of what to say. “Lick Chenle’s face.” He finished, and Chenle’s eyes widened in shock and horror alike.

“JunGWOO YOUR MOM’S A HOE!” Chenle hissed, backing away from Dongkyuk and chucking the pillow he had in his lap at the other boy. Johnny, who was unfortunate enough to be stuck between the two of them, looked like he was ready to move to China and never speak to anyone ever again. 

“That is incorrect,” Ten pointed out, looking pointedly at Chenle and sending a glance at Jungwoo before adding on “Jungwoo is the hoe.”

The betrayed gasp that followed sent the entire group into hysterics, whether it was from Jungwoo sending death threats at Ten or from Donghyuk leaning over a distressed Johnny’s lap trying to pull Chenle towards him by the shirt. When Donghyuk finally managed to lick Chenle’s face, the smaller boy was practically screeching- directly into Johnny’s ear. He closed his eyes and laid back, willing his life to end already.

“Johnnycake, c’mere” Taeyong beckoned, and Johnny immediately scrambled out of his seat to avoid the two bickering young ones, flopping down between Taeyong and Ten. Mission: avoid crazy was a success. He shifted so his head was lying in Taeyong’s lap, leaning against the younger’s soft stomach. For as long as he could remember, he and Taeyong were like this. Relying on each other, finding refuge with each other, but nothing more than that. No matter what other people thought, they were only friends. And both of them would like it to stay that way. But, that doesn’t mean that Taeyong didn’t notice the glances that people threw them- for instance, the way Ten was staring at how Johnny pressed his face into Taeyong’s gut, how the younger threaded his fingers through the soft hair. He smiled, purposefully tracing Johnny’s jaw and glancing over at Ten to gauge his reaction. Pat of his role as a best friend was to draw suitable people in and, right now, Ten was fitting the bill. Johnny, unbeknownst to Taeyong’s plan, sighed contentedly and leaned into his touch ever so slightly. The only thing Taeyong was still cautious about was how Ten would treat Johnny- even though he was a giant, he loved to let himself be taken care of, something he had told his friend long ago, and since abandoned the hope for. Considering he was so physically large, he had admitted he didn’t have any hope for a partner that would be content with splitting roles half and half- and that was exactly what Taeyong was determined to find for him. He deserved someone who would love and be loved equally, and until he saw Ten taking care of Johnny, he would be cautious of the smaller man. 

“Doyoung!” Brought him out of his thoughts, his gaze turning to Donghyuk, who had yelled out the name. His eyes traveled to Doyoung, who was cuddled in a blanket and looking very content with his place in the world. The model sighed and flicked his hair out of his face, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips.

“Dare.” He said cautiously, eyeing Donghyuk’s smile and debating whether or not to be scared. Taeyong had always found Doyoung to be a nearly perfect person- amazing personality, more than amazing looks, a certain tenderness about him, it was all just… appealing, to say the least. Which was why he was scared, scared to admit anything for the fear of warping their friendship. 

“Hm…. was kinda thinking you’d choose truth, but oh well. Take your shirt off, you can put it on in 3 turns. Sorry man, I got nothing” he sighed, rubbing a hand through his red-orange hair and pursing his lips.

Doyoung wasn’t that shy about his body, but taking his shirt off and exposing himself while nobody else was doing so had to be pretty nerve wracking, if the way his fingers were trembling was any proof of that. Once his t-shirt was discarded on the floor in front of him, he pulled the blanket back up over his shoulders, not completely covering him but offering a bit more comfort. 

“Taeyong.”

Taeyong smiled slightly, pulling his hand away from Johnny’s hair and leaning back on his palms, awaiting his fate.

“Truth.” He said smugly, happy that he wouldn’t have to do something (most likely embarrassing) in front of the whole group. 

“Who’s the hottest one in the group, and who would you ask out on a date?” Doyoung tipped his head to the side slightly, and Taeyong’s face flushed, the red spreading down his neck a bit. 

“Uh- Uhm…” he looked around the group, considering his options. He knew who he would date, but should he admit that? “The hottest is Jaehyun.” He started, and then scrunched his nose up and continued thinking. “But I’d ask you out” he admitted quickly, and although the words were jumbled they were still understandable. Doyoung, understandably, turned a bit red, and Taeyong rushed to move on.

“Chenle!” He cried out, and the small blonde boy perked up, almost bouncing in his seat.

“Dare!” He responded, equally as loud and twice as enthusiastic. 

“Pick who you think is the cutest NCT member and lie against their chest” he said without thinking, not caring what the dare was and just wanting to turn the attention off of himself. 

Chenle, however, was not as pleased.

“I’m gonna put salt in your coffee for the next week instead of sugar.” He grumbled unhappily, standing up and pausing in the center of the circle. He looked around, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed together.

“C’mon, Le, pick your poison” Yukhei taunted, and Chenle threw a glare at him, one that was exceptionally deadly coming from the smaller of the two. Yukhei, in turn, squeaked and hid behind Jungwoo, who smiled and pat the younger’s thigh in a comforting manner. 

Eventually, Chenle settled on the youngest of the bunch, and the game progressed with the small boy cuddled up against Jisung’s chest. They were around the same height, but Chenle was more slender, and a bit softer around the edges. Especially in the Guns N’ Roses shirt Yukhei had on earlier that he had stolen, which completely covered his running shorts. The black fabric contrasted with his pale skin, and made him look more like a child than an adult. 

“Yukhei” He hissed, and the person in question seemed like he was about to pass out.

“Dare” he stuttered, knowing that the truth option could be horrible, judging by how well they knew each other. 

“Hahaha.” Chenle was monotonous, which only added to Yukhei’s terror. “Your turn, sweetie. Cuddle with Jungwoo.” He narrowed his eyes, and smiled at Yukhei’s now even more horrified expression, pressing his shoulder blades back into Jisung’s chest more and humming contentedly. He didn’t miss the way Jisung’s arm slipped around his waist, but he didn’t do anything to stop it.   
Instead, he watched as Yukhei slumped down, sitting between Jungwoo’s legs and turning his head so he could bury his face in the elder’s neck. Jungwoo hooked his arms around Yukhei’s midriff to make sure he didn’t slide completely into the ground, and subconsciously shifted so Yukhei would be a bit more comfortable. 

The younger picked his head up, throwing one last glare at Chenle.

“Mmm, maybe we should stop there.” Jaehyun laughed nervously, the murderous tension between the two on the ride. Sleepovers were one thing, crime scenes were another. Both, apparently, could be equally as unpleasant. 

Taeyong stood, gently pushing Johnny off of him and walking over to the counter, his hand placed on the door to the kitchen.

“In getting snacks. What do y’all want?” He announced, and a few cheers rose from various people around the room.

“Tyong, we don’t have much in the back room right now-“ Johnny cut in, but was interrupted quickly by Yukhei, who bolted out of his seat (much to Jungwoo’s dismay) and was pulling on his shoes before either of them could say anything else.

“I’ll go down to the convenience store!” He chirped, shoving his wallet into his back pocket and making sure he had his phone with him. Without the time to make a valid protest, they watched as he flew out the front door shortly before the small clock in the corner of the room chimed midnight.

-

Most people he knew were afraid of the dark- afraid of every alleyway opening, of every dimly lit sign, of every car driving past. But he wasn’t. He relished in the feeling that the dark gave him, a kind of solitude that didn’t involve locking himself up, but instead involved letting himself go. He loved the illumination of different colored neon signs, tinging the edges of reality in shades of the rainbow. Even though he couldn’t see the stars through all of the light pollution, he knew they were there, he knew that all of the constellations continued to circle the night sky in endless, constant patterns. He loved the night so much because he always knew what it would bring. When he relied on the windows of daylight to ground himself he found that nothing was ever constant, but as soon as the sun set it was a mroutine. Everyone slept, and he turned the city streets into his own little dreamscape. Even now, wandering down the block towards the 24 hour store that had its lights on just ahead, it felt almost ethereal, like a warped reality of sorts.

He was started out of his own head by a sharp “Yukhei!” And someone tugging on the back of his jacket. He stopped and turned, looking over his shoulder at who had run after him. Much to his surprise, it was Jungwoo that stood before him, still in a t-shirt with his shoes half on and his hair ruffled up.

“Jungwoo, why are you out here? It’s freezing cold!” He hissed, turning himself around fully and taking in how the elder was shivering in the sharp air of autumn. 

“I thought you would want some company.” He smiled, his soft and silky voice coaxing the same expression out of Yukhei. 

“You’re not wrong. But you’re not right either” Yukhei shrugged, leaving the confusing statement to hang in the air so he could push his hair out of his eyes and pull off his jacket to wrap it around Jungwoo’s smaller frame. Without hesitation, the elder pulled Yukhei’s jacket closer to himself with a contented hum. By the time they were situated, the convenience store was just across the street, so they quickly darted across the pavement and slipped inside. 

Warm air rushed across Yukhei’s skin, and he fake moaned at the sensation, earning an elbow to the ribs from Jungwoo that caused him to shy away and burst into laughter simultaneously. When he calmed himself, he noticed that Jungwoo was side-eyeing him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance blended into one.

“You’re so extra,” he sighed, putting a hand on his hip and raising an eyebrow. Yukhei, in response, grabbed a basket and took off down the aisle, looking over his shoulder and sticking his tongue out at Jungwoo.

“At least I’m fun!” He called, his feathery brown hair hanging in his unique eyes, only bringing light to the smile that split his face. It was that moment that Jungwoo realized that he was trapped in something serene- almost like a fantasy that was thrusted into the cracks of reality to fill that empty space. Even in the cheap lighting from the convenience store, the edges of the world were glowing. Did he believe in love at first sight? Initially, his answer would have been no. He would have insisted upon knowing the person before delving too deep. But now, with the twisting in his gut and the pounding of his heart, his answer might be a little different.

-=+=-

“Did you mean it, Taeyong?” Doyoung’s question, although very clear, drew a confused face from the elder.

“Mean what?” He asked cautiously, shifting where he was sitting ever so slightly and slumping his shoulders down in towards himself. He knew what Doyoung was asking, but he didn’t want to answer.

“Did you mean it when you said you’d take me out on a date?” His voice got impossibly quieter, and Taeyong’s eyes immediately widened, the dark irises looking anywhere except directly at the younger’s face. After a few moments of silence between them (despite the fact that everyone else was anything but silent) Doyoung sliced through the tension with a panicked look in his eyes and a few innocent waves of his hands in Taeyong’s general direction.

“You- you don’t have to answer I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable I just got curious and kind of wanted to know I’m so sorry!” He spat out all in one breath, his perfectly sculpted eyebrows shooting up as his eyes got rounder (and maybe even a bit shinier). 

Taeyong, albeit hesitantly, reached out and took Doyoung’s flailing hands in his own, pulling them down so they rested comfortably on Doyoung’s knee. 

“Calm down.” He waited until the quick breaths got deeper and slower before continuing. “Yes, I meant it Doyoung. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it, okay?” His answer was smooth and calm, contrastive how frantic his thoughts were (he legitimately felt like that one spongebob episode where all of the little mini versions of him in his head were burning all of their files and throwing everything into chaos. But did it show? Absolutely not.). 

Doyoung switched his hold so their fingers interlaced, and he looked down at the newfound connection between them with just a ghost of a smile on his lips and the same glimmer in his eyes that Taeyong had grown so accustomed to. 

“Do I get the same treatment if I ask why you called me hot?” Jaehyun inputted, quite sarcastically, leaning into their conversation from Doyoung’s left. Taeyong rolled his eyes, but Doyoung separated one of his hands and reached out, taking Jaehyun’s and dragging him into their small duo, making it into a trio. They were close enough that Jaehyun’s knees bumped against theirs when he moved slightly to hide the flush on his cheeks. The oldest (and smallest) cooed and reached out, pinching Jaehyun’s cheek and patting his hair. Jaehyun, in turn, bit jokingly at Taeyong’s fingers and glared at him, feeling like he was with old friends even though he had only met these people today. 

After Taeyong’s fake pout at his time with Doyoung being interrupted, he leaned over and pecked Jaehyun’s cheek (as a joke, he swears) and then settled back into his seat with a smile on his face. 

“If you ask you shall receive.” He sighed, squeezing the hand he still held from before the third male had been drug into their circle. 

“Wow, that’s probably the gayest thing I’ve ever seen. Taeyong, I thought you had standards!” Chenle gasped from across the room, and Taeyong stuck his tongue out at the younger, who made a face and twisted around so he could hide himself against Jisung.

“Look at you, being gay as well. Congratulations you absolute fucking hypocrite!” Taeyong hissed, flipping Chenle off. Jaehyun grabbed his hand and drug it down so he could hide the vulgar sign, and pinned the elder’s wrist against the floor to prevent him from angering anyone else further. Chenle mumbled something, presumably in Chinese, and ignored the trio, instead draping himself dramatically across Jisung, who promptly fell backwards and ended up pinned between Chenle and the floor. 

“Yah! I’m older than you!” Taeyong snapped at Jaehyun, looking down at the way the younger had his arm pinned down, he released Doyoung’s hand and made an attempt to pry the male off of him. Instead, Jaehyun moved and placed a forearm across his shoulders, pushing him back and swinging a leg over him to completely cave him in. 

“But I’m stronger~” he taunted, and Taeyong tried to move his upper body even the slightest, only to be met by the relentless force of Jaehyun blocking his every attempt. 

The elder went limp and closed his eyes. “You’ve done it now, Jaehyun. You got him into beetle position. Everything is over now.” Jeno spoke up this time, and Jaehyun looked over at him, confused. A chorus of gasps arose from half the group, all eyes on them, and Jaehyun looked back down at Taeyong’s angelic resting face. His eyes were open now, boring holes right through Jaehyun’s skull.

“Beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice~” Taeyong sing-songed, and Jaehyun looked around with a panicked expression, worrying that the elder had gone completely insane. Then, pain exploded in his lower body, and he screeched and vaulted away from Taeyong, curling up into a ball.

“AND YOU KICK HIM IN THE NUTS!” Taeyong screamed equally as loudly, shrill laughter from Chenle prompting them all to start laughing as well (all except for Jaehyun, of course, who was still in fetal position, regretting ever being conceived.)

“That’s my Tyong!” Doyoung cheered, and Taeyong beamed in response, getting up and promptly plopping down in Doyoung’s lap. Chatter resumed among the rest of the group (with Jaehyun still on the floor) and Taeyong turned around, wrapping his slender legs around Doyoung’s waist and leaving his arms around the younger’s neck.

“So, about that date?” He asked, tipping his head to the side ever-so-slightly. 

Doyoung blinked and looked up at Taeyong, who (perched on his lap) was just a bit taller. “Certainly. The question is, do we invite Jaehyun?”

Taeyong scrunched up his nose and looked over his shoulder at the boy, who was still curled up. Whether he was in pain, or asleep, Taeyong couldn’t tell.

“Yeah.” He smiled softly and looked back at Doyoung again, threading his fingers into the soft raven hair. “Let’s invite Jaehyun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop chapter 2!!! So this is (very) gay (like Taeyong lmaooo) and also kind of a shitshow???? Also I’ve decided on the main ships, but they’re all pretty much main ships so hopefully we get even gayer as time goes on. AnyhOO- thanks so much for reading, and any feedback is always appreciated!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! Thank you for reading this (whatever the fuck it is) and bearing with the first chapter. I swear, it only gets better from here. Anyways, thanks again for reading! Any any and all feedback is greatly appreciated, and I’ll gladly take any suggestions or requests!


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